


A Horse of a Different Color

by cakeisnotpie



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Casual Sex, Coulson Lives, Declarations Of Love, Drunk Sex, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Multiverse, Remix, Sexual Tension, Sharing Body Heat, Snowed In, Superhero Movies, Unrequited Love, fanfic tropes, the Avengers are in the movies, the castigators
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-09-30 09:28:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20444885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cakeisnotpie/pseuds/cakeisnotpie
Summary: A remix of Taketheshot's "On the Same Page" for the 2019 C/C Remix multiverse.Loxley Sherwood's been in love with Jon Woodson for years and now that they've started sleeping together, he can damn well hold it together and do the casual thing.  At least until their team leader, Marie Austin aka Femme Ferrous, discovers that Hollywood is making movies loosely based upon their lives.  Just how much can Loxley take of watching his film counterpart, Clint Barton, pine after Jon's mirror version, Phil Coulson?





	A Horse of a Different Color

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TakeTheShot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TakeTheShot/gifts).
  * Inspired by [On The Same Page](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18628819) by [TakeTheShot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TakeTheShot/pseuds/TakeTheShot). 

> If you haven't read "On the Same Page" by Taketheshot, this might make more sense if you do. In that fic, the Avengers discover a television show called the Castigators, clearly based upon their lives. The episodes take the form of fanfic tropes ... I've recreated some of those "episodes" here for this through-the-looking glass version. Enjoy The Castigators! :)
> 
> The Castigators
> 
> Marie Austin aka Femme Ferrous (Tony Stark)  
Benjamin Williams aka Major Union (Steve Rogers)  
Henry Holland as Doctor Green (Bruce Banner)  
Katya Petrovych as Red Back (Natasha Romanoff)  
Jon Woodson as Non-Descript (Phil Coulson)  
Loxley Sherwood as Dead Centre (Clint Barton)  
William Henry “Harry” Harrison as Summer Soldier (Bucky Barnes)  
Marc Savage (Nick Fury)

**NOW**

Another day, another crumbling perch on top of an unstable building. How was this his life, Loxley Sherwood wondered for what might be the last time. Chinking was shaking loose from between the bricks, the seven floors wobbling, but he managed to toss three more knives into the gelatinous eyes of the giant octopi … octopuses? … that were swarming the city. They didn’t call him Dead Centre for nothing; each one hit its mark with unswerving accuracy. If he was going down, he was damn well going to take as many of these stinking things as he could. 

“... three blocks over. Anyone hear me? I can see Madame Cephalopod herself; looks like her target’s the United Nations …” 

For two long heartbeats, Loxley hung suspended in the air as the roof gave way, nothing under his feet but air, then he was twisting to keep firing at the purple-green behemoth that was going to crush him if the fall didn’t kill him. 

“Got you.” Warm fingers circled his wrist complete with familiar gun callouses; Jon’s arm was pulled taut, Loxley’s weight dragging him closer to the edge of the half-destroyed structure. “What did I say about jumping off roofs?” 

“Didn’t have a chance to jump.” Loxley lifted his legs out of the way of a swinging tentacle. “And you shouldn’t be here. The whole damn thing’s coming down. Let me go and get out of here.” 

“No way,” Jon said. “Just need to pull you up and then …” 

Lightning flashed by them as Major Union struck one of the creatures, frying it and making it wobble; it tipped and fell their way. 

“Go!” Loxley tried to break Jon’s hold. “Teleport out before it …” 

The body slammed into the wall; the last thing Loxley saw was a rain of bricks and steel beams headed his way. 

“Jon!” He shouted the name of the man he loved, the one who meant everything to him even if he’d never told him.

Then the world went dark. 

**THEN**

“Hey, dude, you’ve got to see this!” Marie Austin, aka Femme Ferrous, aka megawealthy owner of the mansion they all lived in, grabbed Loxley’s elbow and dragged him towards the common room. “It’s hysterical!” 

Glancing over his shoulder, Loxley breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the door to his room remained closed. Last thing he wanted was everyone knowing about … well, he wasn’t sure which would be worse, if they found out he’d gotten drunk and fallen in bed with his best friend or that he’d been in love with Jon Woodson for years and never said anything. All those years working side-by-side, watching each other’s back, saving the world -- falling for Jon was as inevitable as the changing of the seasons. He’d managed to push his feelings back for the good of the team and because Jon was too damn good for an ex-assassin screw-up like him. But now that he knew what Jon’s mouth tasted like? How he looked when he came, that sigh of contentment, how he wrapped around Loxley, the fall of lashes on his cheek as he slept? 

Loxley was so fucking screwed. 

“What the …” his eyes flicked up to the big screen above the fireplace; a red and gold blur streaked across the screen. “Is that …” 

“Me!” Marie grinned. “You’re gonna shit when you see this.” 

“What’s going on?” He looked at the other members of the team sprawled on couches. 

“Marie got her hands on an early copy of a movie from some new studio; it’s about superheroes and it’s supposed to be the start of a series,” Henry said from his seat on the couch, glasses perched on his nose as he flipped through one of his scientific journals. “They made just enough differences to get away without paying us royalties.” 

“It’s actually pretty good,” Ben put down the remote. “Once you get past the portrayal of the Army and Air Force …” 

“You’re just jealous because they did me first,” Marie interrupted then bounced up and down on her heels as the movie started playing again. “Not that it’s perfect; I mean, this Downy character they got to play me is handsome and all, but a guy? Like people wouldn’t go see a movie with a kick-ass female as the lead?” 

“That’s the industry for you,” Katya appeared next to Rie; she jumped and scowled. “They never put me on t-shirts and just try and find a Red Back action figure.”

“What?” Marie took out her Austinphone and began tapping. “Those fuckers! I made them produce the same number of Femme Ferrous figures as Major Union and Doctor Green but didn’t check the rest. What about Sif? Surely there’s enough of her …” 

Loxley took a step back; now that Marie’s attention was engaged elsewhere, maybe he could sneak out …

“I wonder if Marc knows about this,” Jon spoke from behind him. Loxley risked a quick glance over his shoulder; in his shirt sleeves and dress pants, Jon looked as put together as always, not like he’d just spent the night fucking Loxley senseless. 

“Oh, let me be the one to tell Savage.” Marie glanced up. “I want to see his face when he sees he’s Samuel L. Jackson.” 

“You’re in here too, Jon, but you’re not yet a superhero,” Henry said. “The actor they chose is perfect casting.” 

Jon gave a long-suffering sigh and raised the phone to his ear. 

Loxley wasn’t sure if it was for Marie’s antics, the film itself, or morning-after regret. 

**~~~~**

“I think my fingers are permanently burned,” Loxley murmured as he scaled the milk for a lavender latte. “Next time, I get to seduce the rich guy.” 

“You’re on.” Katya shifted in her overstuffed chair, crossing and uncrossing her bare legs and flipping her hair. She made it look so innocent, just a college girl in Daisy Duke shorts and a skinny tank, talking to a friend on her phone. Their mark didn’t bother to hide that he was practically drooling over the possibility of getting in her pants. “See how you like sweaty hands all over your ass.” 

“We’ve got trouble,” Jon said from where he was waiting for his order. “Remember how we thought Deprovni was working for K.R.A.K.E.N.? Well, look who’s coming in the front door.” 

Loxley glanced up in time to see Roberta McGillcuty, the head of the Eastern Seaboard Territory of the world’s largest organization of bad guys, enter the coffee shop. 

“Damn it, she knows my face.” Kayta accidentally dropped her phone under her chair, bending over to search for it. “I beat her to the Polar Star, and I doubt she’s forgotten. Maybe Jon can tase her and put on  _ SuperNanny _ .” 

“You’re never going to let me live that one down, are you?” Jon asked. “I’m going to start calling you Natalie Rushman.”

“I got this.” Loxley put the top on the drink he’d just finished then stepped from behind the counter to hand it to Jon. “Here you go, baby, just like you like it, sweet and frothy with a dirty kiss on the side.” 

He pressed his lips to Jon’s and Jon immediately kissed back, going with the change in the plan without hesitation. When they broke apart, applause erupted in the coffee shop; even McGillcuty was grinning their way. 

“You two are good at that,” Kayta said on their private channel, having ducked into the safety of the bathroom. “Almost like you practice.”

She always did that, say things when she knew Loxley couldn’t respond. 

“Bye, darling.” Jon winked at Loxley. “We’ll pick this up later.” 

Damn it, Loxley really, really wanted to do exactly that. But first, there was a gun runner to catch, and he knew Katya wasn’t going to let this go. 

**~~~~**

“Come on, Jon, just a few more steps. You can do it.” 

The snow was falling even more heavily than before, obscuring the path, painting the forest white. A picture-perfect postcard if Loxley hadn’t been shivering, water-soaked through his boots, trying to stay upright with Jon’s weight under one arm. He’d used his tac jacket to wrap around Jon to help warm him after the ice cracked. God, but Loxley didn’t want to ever feel that sharp pain again as Jon had gone under, a moment of pure panic before he tossed his repelling line into the water and heaved Jon out. 

“T-t-t-t-oo c-c-c-c-old.” Jon’s teeth chattered, eyelashes layered with ice. “L-l-l-leave me. G-g-g-go g-g-get help.” 

“No way in hell.” Loxley ducked under a limb, bumping it as he passed, sending a cascade of snow under his collar and down his back. “There’s got to some cabins around here, fisherman shacks, something. We’ll find it.” 

“C-c-can’t feel my t-t-t-toes.” Jon’s words slurred and he almost stumbled. “S-s-s-should be able to t-t-t-teleport.” 

“You’ve got a concussion; hit your head on the dashboard when we crashed. Always scrambles your powers. We get you warm, you’ll pop us right back to headquarters and we’ll be drinking hot toddies before bedtime.” At least that’s what Loxley hoped; he’d never seen Jon lose his abilities entirely before. That could be a sign of something much worse than a hard hit on the head. 

They made it up the hill far too slowly, Loxley scanning the horizon for rectangular shapes or any sign of habitation. Only after he saw some lantern hooks hanging from the trees did he realize that Jon had gone silent. 

“Jon? Jon!” He jostled the other man. “I think we’re close. Wake up and help me find the way.” 

“L-l-l-lox?” Jon raised his chin off his chest. “S-s-s-sleepy.” 

“Yeah, I know, but you need to keep talking to me, okay?” He pushed past an overgrown bush and saw the angle of a roof on the crest of the hill. “Hey, you never did tell me about the pre-screening of that new movie, the one about the male Lady Sif.” 

“T-t-t-thor. She thinks it’s f-f-f-funny. And L-l-l-loki as a b-b-b-bad guy. Can you im-image? L-l-l-oki all evil in-instead of g-g-g-goofy.” 

“That’s as bad as Marc wearing being a pirate in an eyepatch.” He passed a small woodpile and a tackle shed; they had to be close. “How was Coulson? He get powers yet?” 

“N-n-n-no. B-b-but you’re in it. C-c-c-cameo and you’re named H-h-h-hawkeye. Shoot a b-b-bow and arrows. Never m-m-m-miss..” 

“Well, at least that last part right. Did I kick ass?” Somehow he got them up the stairs and under the overhang of the eaves.

“I c-c-c-called you to s-s-shoot T-t-t-thor.” Jon chuckled and Loxley’s heart lifted at the sound. “You c-c-called me Sir.” 

The lock gave way easily to Loxley’s skill and they were inside, out of the brutal wind. They weren’t out of danger yet, so Loxley tamped down on the stirring of desire at the thought of calling Jon ‘sir’ in a different situation. Their pursuers were still out there and hyperthermia was a real danger. 

“Let’s get a fire going and you can tell me all about it.” 

**~~~~**

“... only they gave him a shield; he uses it like Femme’s rods.” 

Curled safe in Jon’s arms, Loxley watched the play of moonlight on the planes of his face. 

“Captain America? Can you be more western-centric?” Jon laughed. “Let me guess, he wears red, white, and blue?” 

“With a big star in the middle of his chest.” Loxley stroked a hand over Jon’s chest, enjoying the stolen moment. Tomorrow they’d have to go back to headquarters, and he’d pretend to be nothing more than Jon’s friend and team members, Dead Center and Non-Descript. 

When black hooded figures had snatched Loxley from his bike, chaining him up in a cage and keeping him in a basement, he’d thought this might be it, the finale of his center ring act. Then Jon had appeared and taken everyone out in the sexiest display of badassery Loxley had ever seen. As soon as they were clear of the area, Jon had gotten a room in this roadside motel and patched up Loxley’s cuts then Lox had fallen on Jon like a starving man, pushing him on the bed and riding him until they both were exhausted. 

“Ben kept picking out all the inaccuracies; the uniforms, the protocol. But they hit the whole Major and his Aide de Camp, William Harrison Hardy unrequited sexual tension thing, though. The guy playing Bucky … James Buchanan Barnes, seriously? … was smoking hot and kept giving the good Captain longing looks.” His back twinged then his neck began to sweat. He’d been left sitting half-naked on a cold, damp floor for the duration of his captivity and the last thing he needed was to get sick now. “They killed Bucky off by having him fall from a speeding train on a snowy cliff. Might as well have stuck a big sign that said ‘he’s not dead, he’ll be back in the sequel.” 

“No way they’re going with the real happy ending of the Major and the Summer Warrior shacked up and officially married,” Jon said. “That would be admitting gays and bi people exist.” 

Blood pounded in his ears, his heart galloped in his chest. Loxley pulled away from Jon’s touch, wrenching himself out of bed and onto the bedroom floor. The urge to run was overwhelming, like an animal clawing its way out of his gut, breaking his bones and cracking his ribs. 

“What is it? What’s happening?” Jon knelt beside him, all bare skin and taut muscles, his voice laced with concern. 

“I don’t know.” Even as his mind whirled, he fought, pushing back against his own body. “That guy, Moonhunter, he gave me something …” 

“I should have killed them all.” Jon’s jaw clenched. “Every last one of them for taking you in the first place.” 

“Just need to…” Loxley tried to stop the change. “Oh, God, Jon, I ...” 

The world elongated, light shifting tones; hands turned to paws, hair growing all over his body. Loxley looked up at the man  _ (safe, home, love, need) _ and whined. 

“Jesus, Lox. What the hell …” 

The door burst open, a dark shadow looming above, to reveal Moonhunter  _ (pain, hurt, anger, bad) _ standing there, gun in hand. Loxley bared his teeth and growled. 

“Well look at this,” the man sneered. “Weren’t you two all cozy and getting busy? Too bad that Loxley’s now my bitch to control. Kill him,” he ordered. “Rip him apart.” 

Loxley’s ears flicked at the command and he whipped his head between the two men. 

“I am your sire!” Moonhunter shouted. “Kill Non-Descript!”

With an effortless leap, Loxley sank his teeth into Moonhunter’s throat, heedless of his gun. No one was going to hurt Jon, no matter what Loxley had to do to protect him. 

**~~~~**

_ “You have heart” _

Leg propped up and arm in a sling, Jon tensed as Loki touched his sceptre to Clint Barton’s chest. Loxley resisted the urge to slip his arm around Jon and pull him close. Everyone was scattered about the common room, battered and banged up from the earlier battle with K.R.A.K.E.N. soldiers who had tried to steal Henry’s latest experiment. 

_ “An Ant has no quarrel with a boot.”  _

“Aye, they did not capture the essence of my Loki,” Sif said as they watched the jeeps weave in and out of the collapsing tunnel. “This one claims to only joke and play tricks, but they have given him a sharp edge and vengeful spirit. He will find the humor in the portrayal; I do not.” 

Jon gave a quiet sound of discomfort as he tried to shift positions, pulling the stitches of his bullet wound. Loxley still wasn’t ready to think about his reaction when he saw Jon get shot, how Jon had materialized in front of him, right into the path of the K.R.A.K.E.N. Leader’s gun. He’d made a fool of himself, rushing to Jon’s side, pressing on the wound, begging him not to die. 

_ “Natasha, Barton’s been compromised.”  _

“Wow, that’s some serious UST right there.” Marie grinned. “Especially for two characters who’ve never actually been on screen together. Coulson and Barton, sitting in a tree … What do they call them? Right, Phlint.”

“I like Shield Husbands,” Sif said. “Like the warriors of old who shared a bed and fought side-by-side.”

“Hey, wonder if people who ship the Widow and Barton call the two of them Blackeye?” Marie asked. “I’ve seen Hulkeye and Iron Hawk …”

“And don’t forget Stony or Stark Spangled Banner,” Henry tossed in. “People get so creative.” 

“Natasha’s really a badass in here,” Ben interrupted. “But they’re really fucking up your character, Lox. He’s barely seen in the other movies and now he’s a blue glowy eyed bad guy? That’s just bad writing.” 

Jon put a hand on Loxley’s knee, brushing circles with his fingers. “Agreed. Even Fury is getting a better storyline.” 

Good thing the lights were down or the others might have seen the blush creep up Loxley’s cheeks. 

“Now that’s America’s ass.” Katya wiggled her eyebrows. “Wonder if this Evans guy is single? I wouldn’t mind hitting a red carpet or two if he was waiting in the limo at the end.” 

_ “Phil, uh, his first name is Agent.” _

“Cellist, huh? And what do cellists use … a bow!” Marie crowed. “Yeah, Phil’s boning Hawkeye. They might already be married, like in secret, ‘cause they’re spies, right? Sneaking around, late-night sexting, hiding from everyone …” 

“Some of us are trying to watch the movie, Austin,” Jon moved again, another intake of breath then dropped his head onto Loxley’s shoulder. “Do you mind?” 

The silence lasted long enough for Jon’s eyes to drift almost closed before both Henry and Marie called bullshit on the flying helicarrier, launching onto a back and forth about the physical impossibility of something that heavy being aerodynamic enough. Ben got into the act, noting all the bad tactical choices and laughing at the bridge set up. Even Katya had an opinion about the Black Widow’s high heeled boots and the impracticality of her one-piece zippered catsuit. 

Loxley fixed his eyes on the screen, his hand close enough to Jon’s to feel the warmth, almost touching, so perfectly close that he only needed a tiny twitch to brush his pinkie to Jon’s. 

_ “I’m not overly fond of what follows.” _

“Now that is a worthy entrance!” Sif smiled as Thor landed on the quinjet and took his brother away. “I hope they’re going to spar with one another … yes! Indeed!” 

Jon sighed and relaxed, more of his weight leaning on Loxley. With the tiniest shift and lift of his arm, Lox let Jon settled against his chest where he could feel the rise and fall of Jon’s breathing. 

“Loki’s kind of hot.” Marie tilted her head and stared at the screen. “I mean, greasy hair aside, I bet he’s the multiple orgasms in one night kind of guy.” 

“It is Thor who is the god of fertility,” Sif explained. “Loki has, however, often taken on the female form and given birth to a number of children. Sleipnir, a six-legged horse, Fenrir, the wolf who is destined to be part of Ragnarok, and Hel, the goddess of death.” 

“Okay. Not sure how I feel about that,” Marie replied. “I’ll take Dr. Banner for tonight’s fantasy instead. Smart is the new sexy after all.” 

“He … she … gave birth to a horse?” Henry asked. “How does that even work?” 

“The father was a stallion and Loki was a mare at the time,” Sif responded. 

“That’s one crazy family tree,” Ben said. 

_ “I got red in my ledger and I’d like to wipe it out.”  _

“Is anyone else a little jealous that Red Back’s doppelganger is the most like real life?” Henry asked. ‘I mean, shy and nerdy is okay, but I don’t do anything but sit around and mope about my condition, whatever that is.” 

“At least you got a movie of your own,” Katya shot back. “Neither Widow or Hawkeye have a stand-alone.” 

“I kind of like the Black Widow as a call name,” Ben said. “Deadly, beautiful and kills her mates.” 

“Kills the males she mates with.” Sif smiled fondly at Katya. “Not the females.” 

“Wait, wait?” Marie sat up. “Did I miss my window of opportunity? Damn it, I thought you were strictly hetero.” 

“I have a thing for tall, warrior-goddesses.” Katya leaned into Sif’s arms. “I do think it’s sweet, this whole Strike Team Delta they’ve got going on with Coulson, Natasha, and Clint. Maybe they’ll do a movie about them later on.” 

It was nice; Loxley had long thought of Katya as the sister he never had and Jon, well, Jon was more than worth dying for. Even if he didn’t know how Loxley felt. 

_ “It seems to run on some form of electricity.”  _

“Did they forget that Steve’s brain was enhanced too? He’d figure out what Tony meant,” Ben bitched. 

“Oh, I call bullshit! An arrow that hacks a computer!” Marie complained. 

“Why did they make the Hulk a mindless beast?” Henry lamented. “I got smarter after the serum!” 

  
  
  


“Seriously, Thor wouldn’t fall for Loki’s bullshit like that,” Sif told them. 

_ “Move away please” _

“Now that’s a Jon move, right there. Get out the big gun and just appear to take out …” 

Ben stopped talking. Everyone gasped as the spear ripped through Phil Coulson’s chest. Loxley’s heart froze, his gaze locked on the fading light in Phil’s eyes. 

“Jesus,” Marie breathed. “That’s brutal.” 

_ “Tessa?”  _

“Oh God,” Sif whispered. “Poor Barton. And he never told him.” 

_ “You lack conviction” _

Jon looked up at him, and Loxley almost drowned in those blue depths. On screen, Phil Coulson died, bleeding out on the floor, just like Jon was bleeding this morning, shaking and going pale in Loxley’s arms. 

_ “It's okay, boss. This was never going to work... if they didn't have something... to…” _

Loxley pushed away, jumped up, and ran from the room.

**~~~~**

“Here.” Katya tossed the handful of black fabric at Loxley. “Thought you’d want one of these; had to pull some strings to get it. It’s a limited run.” 

He rolled over on his back and hissed when she flicked the lights on. 

“Why are you like this?” he asked, flinging an arm over his eyes. “Let me wallow in my misery for a few days, Kat. I’ve majorly fucked up and you know it.” 

“Such a drama queen.” She nudged him out of the way and sat down on the edge of the bed. Shaking out the shirt, she held it up. “Didn’t even look at your present.” 

Bold white letters spelled COULSON LIVES! across the front. 

“What the …” Loxley sat up and snatched it from her hands. “They’re selling these?”

“Yep. So many fans signed a petition to bring Phil back that they’re selling these at conventions.” She smiled at him. “Not to mention all the fanfiction being written about Phil coming back so he and Clint can declare their undying love for each other.” 

“And there’s the Red I know and love; twist the knife, why don’t you?” Loxley groaned. “I couldn’t just take what he was willing to give Kat, had to go and fall in love with him and mess it up. He’s probably never going to speak to me again.” 

“Kind of hard to do if you don’t ever leave your room.” She stood. “Time to suck it up and be a man; I’m hungry and craving pancakes from that diner in midtown. If you’re ready in thirty minutes, I’m buying.” 

“That’s dirty pool!” Loxley shouted at her retreating back. “Fine, but I’m getting extra bacon too.” 

He might be an idiot when it came to affairs of the heart, but Loxley never turned down free pancakes. That was just plain crazy.

**NOW**

He woke slowly, floating up to consciousness, becoming aware of an ache in his hip, the weight of plaster on his lower leg, and the sting of cuts and abrasions on his chest. Squinting against the fluorescent lights, Loxley made out the familiar row of monitors of the medical suite. Seemed, somehow, he had survived being killed by a collapsing cephalopod. 

“Ow.” He turned his head and a sharp pain ran up from his shoulder. “What the fuck.” 

“You broke your clavicle.” Jon rose from the chair by the bed, laying aside his AustinPad. “Got a bone bruise on your hip, fractured your fibula, and are pretty banged up from all the brick and metal that fell on top of you.” 

“Just another day at the office then.” Loxley glanced down at the sling that held his left arm immobile. “Guess I’m going to be sidelined for a while.” 

“Six to eight weeks, depending upon how well you follow instructions which, knowing you, means you’ll be throwing knives in two.” Jon’s blue eyes grew serious. “I’m sorry; it’s my fault. I lost my hold on you; I should have been able to teleport us both out of there in time, but …” 

“An octopus fell on us, Jon. Not exactly something you can plan for.” Loxley shifted his good arm and patted Jon’s hand. “Broken bones come with the territory.” 

“You could have died.” Jon caught Loxley’s hand, tangling their fingers together. “Jesus, Lox, after you ran out on the movie, I thought …” 

“Yeah, about that. I was … aw, hell, I fucked up, okay? Let it get to me. We can go back to the way we were, all casual, no strings. I’ll be fine with it, promise,” Loxley said, the words tumbling out in a rush. “If that’s what you want, I’ll make it happen.” 

“If that’s … is that what you think? That you … me … it’s just casual? I thought we were … you know … building something, but if you don’t …” 

“But you never said …” 

“Neither did you …” 

They stopped talking at the same time. Stared at each other. Started laughing until Loxley had to stop because it hurt too much. 

“You know,” Jon said, squeezing Loxely’s hand. “If this were a Phlint fanfiction story, this is when Natasha would pop in and say something like ‘about time, boys’.” 

“But first I’d have professed how much I love you just before I fell off the roof.” 

Jon’s eyes widened as Loxley realized what he’d said.    
  


“Do you…”

“I do …”

The kiss was soft and sweet and oh so perfect. 

“About time, boys,” Katya said from the doorway. “About damn time.’


End file.
